OK gang.
The "kicking" bullies have rounded on me even though I had a fantastic swim this weekend. They are telling me I need to kick, my coach said don't over do it b/c it disrupts the stroke...
I can kick, I maybe didn't intergrate it in my 100FR to their approval but I am not convinced that kicking alone is the way to go.
I think working 100's with kick focus is a better way rather than yards and yards at "meh" pace.
What % of your yards do you kick per week, and how much of that is with fins?
Parents
Former Member
Here are a few things you could try:
1) Lose the kickboard. Yeah, it's sacrilege, but it forces a rigid-body style of kicking that is disconnected from the stroke. It probably works for people who already know how to integrate their kick, but not for those of us who were never taught how.
2) Put on a pair of fins and, with your body loose and relaxed, kick slowly face-down from the hip. Feel how each kick rotates your body slightly. Use a snorkel or just pop your head up now and then to breath. You can also do this on your back. Or vertically, in the deep end.
3) If you want to be a six-beat kicker, add two smaller kicks in between each body-rolling kick. (LEFT right left RIGHT left right...) If you are a two-beat kicker, just continue. Push down slightly on your chest if your legs start to sink.
4) Slide one hand out in front of you for a streamlined position. As the rotational kick on the same-side leg starts, begin to "catch" the water and anchor your arm. Repeat with other arm. Still go slowly to get the feel of things, don't worry about speed yet.
5) After you've gotten the hang of timing the catch with the same-side rotational leg kick, add in the recovering arm entering the water at the same time. Think of kicking your hand forward into streamline with the opposite leg.
Hope this helps. I know where you're coming from. For years i just flapped my legs up and down and hoped for the best. Then I learned the simple two-beat kick, now I'm starting to add in a six-beat kick for shorter faster intervals.
I do the six-beat kick, and I do that "LEFT-right-left-RIGHT-left-right" thing you were describing. I find it helps draw more power from your hips and torso rather than just relying on your arms.
Here are a few things you could try:
1) Lose the kickboard. Yeah, it's sacrilege, but it forces a rigid-body style of kicking that is disconnected from the stroke. It probably works for people who already know how to integrate their kick, but not for those of us who were never taught how.
2) Put on a pair of fins and, with your body loose and relaxed, kick slowly face-down from the hip. Feel how each kick rotates your body slightly. Use a snorkel or just pop your head up now and then to breath. You can also do this on your back. Or vertically, in the deep end.
3) If you want to be a six-beat kicker, add two smaller kicks in between each body-rolling kick. (LEFT right left RIGHT left right...) If you are a two-beat kicker, just continue. Push down slightly on your chest if your legs start to sink.
4) Slide one hand out in front of you for a streamlined position. As the rotational kick on the same-side leg starts, begin to "catch" the water and anchor your arm. Repeat with other arm. Still go slowly to get the feel of things, don't worry about speed yet.
5) After you've gotten the hang of timing the catch with the same-side rotational leg kick, add in the recovering arm entering the water at the same time. Think of kicking your hand forward into streamline with the opposite leg.
Hope this helps. I know where you're coming from. For years i just flapped my legs up and down and hoped for the best. Then I learned the simple two-beat kick, now I'm starting to add in a six-beat kick for shorter faster intervals.
I do the six-beat kick, and I do that "LEFT-right-left-RIGHT-left-right" thing you were describing. I find it helps draw more power from your hips and torso rather than just relying on your arms.
